Refrigerator.



J. ECKHARDT.

REFRIGERAT'OR..y APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16| 19|?.

1,250,821. Patented De@.18,1917.

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Patented Dec. 18,1917.

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J. ECKHARDT. REFRIGERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I6. 1911.

4Z 5513 atto/L14 JACOB ECKHARDT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

REFRIGERATOR. i

Application led January 16, 1917. Seri-al No. 142,591.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JACOB ECKHARDT, a citizen of the United States, resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators, of which the following is a specification.

Thisl invention relates to improvements in domestic refrigerators or ice boxes, and has as its principal object, the provision of means whereby the ice used in maintaining the desired temperature is so contained as to produce desired results with la minimum of waste; I

Another object is to provide a domestic refrigerator which may be readily filled and which is so arranged that the over-flow is automatically provided for.

These and other like objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereafter described and shown in the accompanying' drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 1-,1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,- looking in another direction. A

Fig. '3 is a partial sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmental sectional view taken on line 4-4.of Fig. l1.

The device consists of a rectangular structure having a base 10, side walls 11, and a rigid partial cover 12, together with a back 13 which is rigidly engaged with-the side, base. and cover elements.

The base is supported by casters 14 affixed at the corners as is customary. Formed through the cover 1.2 is a rectagular opening to the chamber inclosed by the perforated interior side walls 16 to which are bolted the downwardly extending ends 17 of a supplementary casing 18 provided with a movable top 19. the casing containing two chambers 2O- each of which is adapted to be iilled with sawdust or like material of a non-conducting nature, the structure resting' normallv upon the cover 12.

The plates 16 have inturned Hanges 25 at the bottom upon which is supported the ice tank 26, the same being open at its upper end and covered normally by a plate 28 secured to the bottom of a rectangular chamber 30. the chamber being formed with the cover 19 in such manner that by raising the cover, the chamber, normally filled with non-conducting material like those surrounding it, may bc readily removed l A plurality of removable shelves 32 are supported by the side walls 11 and vertical interior walls 16 upon which vessels containing food may be placed by opening the doors 33, permitting access to the interior of the refrigerator, the vessels being obviously disposed upon either side of the ice tank 26.

As the ice melts, the water is conducted downwardly through a pipe 37 into a tank 38, the same extending the'entire width of the structure and attached to the side walls 11, but being made narrow so that the front portion of the space below the lowermost shelves 32 may be used for storing articles which it is desired to keep in a cool condition. v

As the tank 38 becomes filled with water from the melted ice, the effluent is received in the pipe 40. extendingout through the rear of the refrigerator and thence down below the base 10, where it is turned inwardly, as at 41, emptying into a vessel 42 which may connect directly with the drainl pipe 43, thus preventing an -overflow of water and'maintaining the ice in a substantially dry condition.

At the same time, the bodyof the cold water contained in the tank serves to cool the lower portion of the refrigerator, resulting in increased capacity of the refrigerator without the use of extra ice.`

An air pipe 45 extends into the space 46 below the shelves 32, the lower end of the pipe being open below the base 10, as can best be seen in Fig. 2. Thus it will be seen that the ice is used in an economical manner, the upper portion of the refrigerator being lprotected by non-conducting elements, while the lower portion `is maintained in a relatively cool condition by the tank 38.

In operation, the cover 19, together with the central chamber 30 is raised, thereby removing the plate 28 whereupon theice tank 26 can be filled to any desired extent and the cover 19, together with the chamber and plate placed in position el'ectually prevents the'cooled air from es caping'from the top of the'refrigerator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is:-

In a refrigerator. the combination withfa rectangular structure having a centrally arranged ice tank therein, means permitting said ice tank to be removed bodily from said structure, a non-conducting chamber removably engaged above said ice tank, other non-conducting chambers surrounding the rst named chamber, a plurality of removabe shelves arranged in said structure upon opposite sides of said ice tank, a Water taank arranged below and at the rear of sald ice meneer.

tank extending from side to side therein, means permitting melted ice to enter said Water tank, means providing an overfiow in said Water tank, and means for the admission of air to said structure.

In testimony whereof have affixed my signature this eighteenth day of December,

JACOB ECKHARDT. 

